Food pairings that hate each other

Dr. Ngo Quang Hai, former deputy director of the Training and Direction of Healthcare Activities Center of the National Hospital of Acupuncture’s, an expert researcher in food and medicine, said that the combination of specific ingredients can have some negative effects on the digestive system, reducing the amount of nutrition that your body can absorb, as well as bringing harm to the body.

The following are some harmful food pairings:

Soybean and scallion

During the digestion process, some substances inside the scallion will turn into Oxalic acid. This chemical precipitates with the calcium found inside soybeans – affecting the digestive system as well as the rate of calcium absorption.

Yogurt and smoked meat

Smoked meat often uses nitrates as a curing agent to prevent botulism, an illness caused by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum – a protein and nerve toxin found in meat. When smoked meat and yogurt are combined, nitrosamines and carcinogens are created – two substances that can cause cancer.

Persimmon and seafood

The tannic acid found inside persimmon has a reaction with calcium chloride in fish, shrimps, and a wide variety of seafood. This reaction causes the protein inside seafood to solidify into blocks that block the digestive system, leading to constipation or bowel obstruction.

Egg and soy milk

Eggs are one of the biggest sources of protein for the body. Meanwhile, unlike typical milk, soy milk can slow the activities of the protease enzyme – an enzyme that promotes metabolism inside the body. As such, when these two ingredients are paired together, their nutritional value drops.

Durian and all alcoholic drinks

The sulfur compounds inside durian can block a few enzymes inside your body from breaking down alcohol. Paring these two ingredients together can lead to an increased blood alcohol level, as well as worsening any symptoms such as vomiting and increased heart rate. Moreover, there have been cases where eating durian and drinking alcohol can cause poisoning.

Caffeinated drinks, energy drinks, and alcohol

These drinks are usually combined to avoid drinkers from becoming drunk. However, when the body receives too many different stimulants all at the same time, your organs will have to filter a large number of toxins, which can seriously affect your health.